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They say Christmas is a time for happiness.
But not every person is the same.
Just like how Christmas is different for everyone.
"Hm."
Leaf stared out the window in wonder. Snow was falling tonight. The trainer shivered a little despite the amount of clothes she was wearing. Truly, her sygna suit did wonders against the cold. The coat did a good job at ensuring her comfort.
But there was a different kind of chill that it couldn't protect against—
Ping! Leaf's poryphone chimed.
Seeing that it was a message from Red, she opened it to view the photo he sent her.
It was an image of him and Yellow — who was a recent arrival in Pasio since a few days ago — smiling around a table that was filled with various dishes. Christmas decorations were spread all around that Snorlax was adding to with his own items. Red's Charizard was standing next to the fireplace, having lit it up much to Butterfree's delight. Both Red and Yellow's Pikachus were snuggling under a blanket, which Leaf found adorable.
The image came with a caption that read, "Yellow's first Christmas in Pasio is going great. Wish you and Blue were here!"
Leaf smiled at the text, already typing out a reply to her friend.
"That's great! Blue would've turned the food into a competition though. :)"
Red simply reacted with a laughing emoji. He never changes, Leaf thought.
It was her third Christmas since arriving in Pasio. Although it seemed a lot less festive than the previous ones, Leaf loved the holiday all the same. However, she couldn't spend it with her friends this time, because she volunteered for an event tonight. Blue, on the other hand, flew back to Kanto along with Professor Oak to spend the winter with his sister.
Red invited Yellow to Pasio for Christmas a few weeks ago, which the girl delightfully accepted. Pikachu had been ecstatic, to say the least.
Both boys gave their apologies to Leaf for not spending the holidays with her, which the young trainer quickly brushed off and said she was fine.
She was not.
Sure, Leaf had her Pokémon. Eevee and Venusaur were her precious partners ever since she received them back in Kanto. But that didn't stop the feeling of loneliness creeping up on her.
Eevee tugged on her coat. Leaf glanced down to see her Pokémon looking at her with worry. She smiled, picked Eevee up, and placed him on her lap. The little ball of fluff yawned and fell asleep as his trainer stroked his back.
Leaf hoped others had better luck than her on this night.
Silver was having terrible luck tonight.
First, Feraligatr had chewed through his chair in a fit of hunger while he was out shopping. Now he had to go buy a new one, otherwise he'd be sitting on the floor for Christmas eve. This resulted in him going back and forth to the department store in Centra City, which was several cities from where he was staying.
Second, Ho-oh wandered off somewhere and hasn't come back yet. He trusted that his partner would return eventually, but it didn't stop him from worrying. Not that he'd admit it, of course.
Third…
"I see you've been busy. I pegged you for the type to constantly train no matter what time or day it is."
On his way back from Centra, Silver decided to take the long way home to at least view the sights to calm him down. The box containing the parts to his new chair was strapped to his back so he wouldn't lose it.
He didn't expect to run into him of all people.
"What are you doing here, old man?"
Sneasel was already by his side, taking a fighting stance in case Giovanni tried something. Sure, he wasn't a match against Mewtwo or Nidoking, but the old man was careful enough not to cause a scene in public, because he was hiding in that stupid trench coat again. Mewtwo would obviously cause a ruckus, and Nidoking's fighting isn't very subtle either. That left the Rocket leader with Persian, which Sneasel can deal with.
However, Giovanni didn't send any of them. Actually, he didn't send out any Pokémon at all. He didn't even flinch when Sneasel prepared a Slash. Giovanni just stood there from a distance… smirking.
"I see you still haven't learned your manners. How disappointing."
"I have whoever failed to raise me to blame," Silver spat back.
Giovanni chose to ignore that, and merely stood there quietly.
Silver broke the silence, "You know you're cornered. I can contact the International Police right now, and you wouldn't have time to stop me without causing a scene. I know you love staying on the low."
"And if this is part of my elaborate plan?"
"Then I'll stop you right here," Silver brushed a finger over Ho-oh's Pokéball, silently sending a warning to the man.
This was a bluff, as Ho-oh was still nowhere to be found. Silver hoped Giovanni wouldn't retaliate, because he really couldn't fight back, nor can he call upon allies quick enough.
Giovanni seemed to buy it.
"Heh. How impressive…"
But then—
"But you wound me, my boy."
He grinned.
"Underestimate a man like me…"
Mewtwo suddenly appeared behind Silver, the latter's Sneasel immediately jumping to his defense. However, none of them could move, as Mewtwo's aura felt menacing. It was a feeling of danger, everywhere. People around already started panicking, having seen the Genetic Pokémon appear out of nowhere.
"... and you'll be in a world of pain."
Giovanni snapped his fingers.
Mewtwo was covered in psychic energy.
Fortunately, Silver got his act together. Without missing a beat, he removed the box from his back and threw it towards Mewtwo.
"Sneasel, use Beat Up!"
Sneasel broke out of his fear. He jumped, meeting the box mid-air, and launching himself towards the legendary Pokémon using the momentum.
Sneasel struck once. A critical hit!
Mewtwo fell back. Then it vanished. Silver warily looked around, trying to find where it could be. Then suddenly, a burst of Psychic came from behind him. In its wake, Mewtwo stood next to Giovanni. The latter had a gleam in his eye that told Silver that he was getting serious.
"It seems your legendary Pokémon is out of commission. Beat Up wouldn't only hit once if anyone else was with you, after all."
Silver grit his teeth, and prepared to fight.
Then, suddenly, a massive gust of wind with the force of a hurricane swept the area.
Brendan stood on the fields of Littleroot Town. Hoenn looked the same as it was when he left it. His family and May's decided to travel back for the holidays. Pasio was nice, but home was home.
Standing on the soft grass under the stars, Brendan couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
"Hey!" A familiar voice called out from behind.
Brendan turned around to see none other than May — his neighbor, rival, and best friend — walking up to him.
"So you were here," she added.
"Yep."
"Your parents have been calling you for dinner, you know."
Brendan sheepishly scratched the back of his head. He turned away and sat on the field.
"I'm… not hungry."
May didn't say anything, and simply went to sit down next to him. The view of the stars were as beautiful as always.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing. It's just… we have come a long way, haven't we?"
"Well, yeah! I still remember all those years ago when you first moved into town. It was the day we met, and the day I became a Pokémon Trainer."
"Yeah… a lot of stuff has happened since then."
"Understatement of the year," May laughed. "Maxie and Archie weren't the best of people to meet."
Brendan shuddered, "I'm just glad they're on good terms now. Groudon and Kyogre seemed to have calmed down too."
"Rayquaza's been pretty calm since then too. I'm glad Zinnia's been taking good care of it," said May.
"Zinnia's had her fair share of mistakes… but I can tell Rayquaza really trusts her, " Brendan added.
"I agree! Zinnia's come a long way as well."
"Haha, true! I remember the look on her face when news got out that Steven caught a unique-colored Rayquaza… it was priceless!" Brendan giggled.
"It was a mix of surprise and competitive. She seemed really pumped up."
Both shared more memories, even ones after their journey in Hoenn and their start in Pasio.
"Oh! Remember when—"
Brendan was cut off when a zooming light in the sky caught his eye.
"Huh?" May was equally as confused when a shooting star seemingly fell.
Then another fell.
And another.
Soon, the sky was lit up with a meteor shower. Brendan and May witnessed the event with awe. Latios and Latias even came out of their Pokéballs to watch.
"That…" May started.
"Was beautiful…" Brendan finished for her.
They stared at the sky for a moment longer before a shout from behind caught their attention.
"Brendan! May! It's dinnertime!" Norman called out.
"Coming!" Both responded.
Brendan stood up first, then extended his arm to help May up. Together, they ran back into town. Just before they reached the lab, the duo stopped when Brendan did.
"Hey, May…" he began.
"What is it?
"I'm really glad we met," he said with a smile. She grinned back, then they both stepped into the lab where everyone was waiting. But one thought lingered:
That meteor shower was unprecedented. What could have caused it?
Meanwhile, somewhere in the sky, Zinnia soared atop Rayquaza, who was responsible for the show earlier. She didn't usually celebrate the holidays, but just this once, she felt the so-called spirit enough to give Hoenn the beautiful sight just this once.
She also watched as Brendan and May ran across the fields and into the town.
Smiling, Zinnia said to nobody in particular, "You could really use some imagination."
Cyrus didn't like Christmas.
He really didn't. It reminded him of memories he never wanted to remember. However, he didn't have any qualms with the people who celebrated it. He just didn't want to be involved.
A little known fact is that Cyrus dismisses all Team Galactic grunts and admins during the holiday, much to their confusion. However, they stopped questioning it when their leader said he wanted some time alone.
But that was only part of it. Despite what he made them think, he still had company.
Cyrus sat down and brought his cup of tea down to his plate. Across the table, on the opposite chair, sat Cynthia — Champion of the Sinnoh Pokémon League — who was sipping tea of her own.
"Any particular reason you accepted my invitation this year?"
"Hmph," Cyrus looked down, his expression never changing. "I don't know myself. It was more of an impulse than a decision."
"Interesting."
Cyrus leveled a slight glare at her. "Aren't you going to try and apprehend me at this moment?"
Cynthia didn't even flinch as she continued to drink her tea, "No, that would ruin the holiday spirit." She said simply. "I can make an exception for a day."
Cyrus was still doubtful, but he didn't strike Cynthia as the type to lie.
Looking down from the balcony of the villa, Cyrus watched as the kids played and hung colorful lights all over the city. Some families opted to eat and drink their hearts out. It was a sight that made him feel… soft. It was a strange emotion, and one he couldn't question at the moment.
Cynthia kept her eye on the man, never relenting her calculating expression.
This man had a tragic past, but what he does is wrong. His goals were born from a disillusionment of the world, making him seek to change it forever. His actions aren't noble, but his intentions still seem unknown to her. And yet, watching him gaze at the celebrating folks in Pasio…
She'd save Cyrus, no matter what.
In another part of Pasio, Hilbert and Hilda continue to explore different holidays with N.
"You have good friends," the old store keeper said as she handed N his food, which were totally paid for by Hilbert and Hilda.
N only smiled at her and turned back to look at his friends, who were arguing over a keychain.
"I know."
Sycamore passed a cup of coffee over to the person sitting next to him on the café counter.
"Just like old times?" Sycamore asked.
Lysandre looked at the drink as if it contained all the secrets of the world.
Diantha glanced over at him, worried. Sycamore only reassured her by shaking his head.
With a very small and nearly unnoticeable smile, Lysandre held the cup and raised it, "Just like old times."
Sycamore grinned, as did Diantha.
It was good enough.
A gentle light flew through the sky.
Leaf froze at the sudden wave of warmth that hit her. Her new winter coat was much better than her sygna suit, now that it properly protected her against the cold. It was also good for her errand for tonight. This level of warmth shouldn't be possible even with these clothes, though.
But something else caught her eye — a glowing rainbow feather that landed on her feet.
Picking it up, Leaf observed it, finding it familiar. Did it belong to a Pokémon? If it did, then it must be very beautiful.
Eevee, curious as he is, ran up to Leaf excitedly. Leaf, who was already used to her partner's adorable behavior, bent down and picked him up. Eevee eyed the feather curiously, which Leaf noticed, and held the feather closer to him for a better view.
Eevee, seemingly entranced by its beauty, just stared at it. Leaf found it cute at first, but suddenly, Eevee got off and started running towards the opposite direction from where they were supposed to go.
"Eevee! Wait!" She chased after him anyway.
The snow grew thicker as she ran. Eevee was still going. The blizzard was getting worse, but strangely, she felt warm. The feather in her hand guided her way with its light.
After a couple of minutes, Eevee finally stopped.
"Eevee!" Leaf finally caught up and picked him up with a pout on her face. "Why did you run off so far?!"
However, Eevee didn't seem to care, only looking up at something… someone. Curious as to what got his attention so badly, Leaf looked up—
—to see Ho-oh , the legendary Pokémon, flying above them. Its rainbow feathers shined in the deepest night, while the heat radiating off its body fought off the coldest of blizzards.
"I-Is that… Ho-oh? But why… why is it here?" She looked at the feather in her hand, which was still glowing. "Aren't you… Silver's Pokémon? Why are you here? Why did you bring me here?"
Ho-oh simply stared at her, flapped its wings, and a wave of heat washed over them. Leaf had to cover her face out of instinct, but she didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
When she removed her hands, Ho-oh was gone, but she still didn't feel cold. The feather in her hand was still there — is it glowing even more? — but the legendary Pokémon was nowhere to be seen.
Leaf was confused, but suddenly, a cold, strong breeze blew… around her? She looked around and saw a spherical dome of heat around her. Was it keeping her warm?
She looked around.
What was it keeping her warm from?
Leaf walked, and the sphere moved with her. Moving forward, she traced the source of the harsh blizzards…
Oh, she found it. Right there, in the heart of the snowstorm—
Leaf's legs started moving on their own, simultaneously fishing out a set of potions from her bag, as well as sending out Venusaur for good measure. She couldn't leave this alone. This is what Ho-oh wanted. This is what Ho-oh wanted her to do, because right there, bleeding on the snowy ground...
—was Articuno.
A massive gust of wind suddenly leveled the area they were in. Silver had to hold Sneasel to keep him from flying away, while Giovanni was held in-place by Mewtwo's Psychic.
"Silver!" A familiar voice called out.
"Ethan…"
There he was — Ethan, riding Lugia and flying over to him.
"Are you okay?"
"Idiot! You could have blown us away!" Silver complained.
"But I didn't!"
"You could have."
"Glad to know you're okay."
"I am not okay!"
Giovanni was a little amused by the scene, but had to cut it short for his own sake. Clearing his throat, he caught the attention of the two bickering kids.
"I hate to stop our showdown, but it seems I am outmatched. I shall take my leave now."
He was about to snap his fingers, until an Ice Beam striked the ground from above.
"You're not going anywhere!" Leaf said from her place on Articuno's back.
Giovanni turned to her with a scowl, but couldn't help but smirk when he saw the Pokémon she was riding.
"I see you've found it."
"So it was you who injured him!" Leaf accused.
"Correct. My aim was to catch Articuno, who happened to be on Pasio," he laughed. "However, once we injured it enough, it kept us all back with harsh winds. We couldn't go on, so we had to retreat. Despite our failures, the blizzards caused trouble amongst the townsfolk. I'm surprised you even managed to get close, child."
"Articuno was suffering because of you! If it weren't for Silver's Ho-oh, I wouldn't have found it bleeding on the ground!"
"Ho-oh?" Silver questioned.
As if he heard his call, Ho-oh flew above, scanning the area for Silver.
Once it spotted him, it flew down to his defense.
"Hmph, took you long enough," Silver barked.
Ho-oh only scoffed, used to his attitude.
Giovanni started laughing.
"Reunions are nice and all, but…" he snapped his fingers. "I must leave."
Mewtwo wrapped both of themselves in Teleport, which the others couldn't do anything about.
Just before Giovanni disappeared, he tipped his hat to Silver.
"Until we meet again, boy."
And then he was gone.
Rebuilding was not fun.
Ethan discovered the consequences of property damage, and how he needed to be careful next time. Silver apologized on his behalf, and for letting Giovanni get away. Looker let him off with a nod and went on his way. Giovanni would return, if they knew the guy enough.
"Where's Leaf?" Ethan wondered out loud.
"She's taking too long with her task…" Lillie wondered from her table, which Selene and Gloria shared.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone!"
Everyone turned their attention on Leaf, who was wearing a nice blue-colored holiday-themed coat. Next to her flew Articuno, her newest partner.
"Just finished delivering presents across the city! Articuno made the job faster, so we went to stop by the stores to buy more gifts for everyone here!" She stated, much to everyone's delight.
One by one, each people present in the party opened their gifts.
Ethan got a new scarf. He loved it.
Lillie got a comfey-themed bracelet.
Selene received ingredients for stew. At the same time, Gloria gained ingredients for a new type of curry.
Silver received the rainbow feather that she found.
"Keep it," Silver immediately returned the gift.
"Huh? But it's your Ho-oh's!" Leaf whined.
"Ho-oh only drops his feathers around someone he deems to have a pure heart. It's one-of-a-kind," he elaborated. "Besides, I can have as many feathers as I want from him."
Leaf pondered his words, and wordlessly took back the feather. But after that, she felt guilty that Silver didn't get any presents unlike everyone else.
"Get me a new chair," he had said, much to her confusion.
They say Christmas is a time for happiness.
But not every person is the same.
Just like how Christmas is different for everyone.
Leaf's Christmas being different is... an understatement.
But at the very least, she had fun.
And that's all that matters.
Yellow was currently asleep on the couch, passed out from the partying and gift-giving from earlier.
Red looked at her sleeping face as he tidied up the room. He smiled, picked up a blanket, and draped it over her. Charizard helped him pick up the discarded wrappings while everyone else was asleep.
Bzzt! His poryphone vibrated. A message from Leaf that was sent to both him and Blue.
Attached was a photo of Leaf flying on Articuno's back. There was a view of everyone in the outdoor Christmas party. Everyone looked happy and merry. Red was glad Leaf spent the holiday happily.
The caption read: "Had a blast! Wish you guys were here. Articuno wants to meet you!"
Red only stared at the picture, a little flabbergasted seeing Leaf's new partner. He got so distracted with it that he totally forgot to reply. Before he could, however, Blue sent a message first:
"What the heck happened while I was gone?"